Show #422 – October 13, 2018

Guests: From French Fender Days: Peter Weigel, Jan Heine, Deb Banks, Carlos Pintos, Corey Thompson, Dave Cain, Simon Firth; Christine Acostas, Whit Blanton

A View from Above.

 

French Fender Days! Peter Weigel! And, it’s off to Connecticut for 6 short conversations with folks attending the iconic framebuilder’s once-yearly event!

We chat with Peter first and learn about the event then… it’s the “cast of characters” in the following order:

Jan Heine – from Bicycle Quarterly & Compass Cycles attending his 1st FFD

Deb Banks – from Rivet Cycle Works in California (and the “hostess” with a small “h”)

Carlos Pintos – from Ontario, Canada. He’s a flight attendant whose international travel schedule allows him to find French fendered treasures and ride all over the world.

Corey Thompson – from Thompson Cycle Works in Olympia, Washington. He’s a newlywed who will be taking his bride to PBP in 2019 on the tandem he built. He’s a randonneur, frame builder, and more.

Dave Cain – even though we just talked with Dave from Waxwing Bag Company recently, he alluded to a new product and lets us in on it in this short conversation.

Simon Firth Philly frame builder, retailer, and just a super cool guy takes us around the FFD bike stable and points out a few interesting machines.

Then, after a break, we hear a conversation between Christine Acosta from Pedal Power Promoters and Whit Blanton from Forward Pinellas, the county planning organization as they discuss their take AND rebuttal of the WSJ article that said Pinellas Count, Florida was the most dangerous place in the US to ride.

BIG SHOW – get can extra beer out of the frig!

Show #421 – October 6, 2018

Guests: Christine Acosta; Julie Moss

My first guest, Christine Acosta, offers an interesting and enlightening conversation about Pedal Power Promoters, the organization she founded and runs in the Tampa-St. Pete area of Florida. PPP is doing some impressive and important work to bring business, community, and cycling together in the Tampa-St. Pete area of Florida.

Christine facilitates and helps businesses navigate the necessary labyrinth of the hows, whys, and wherefores of becoming a “bicycle friendly business” and help advocacy turn its ideas into realities.

After our break, I have a long conversation with one of my all-time favorite sports’ heroes!

When Julie Moss crawled across the finish line at the Hawaii Ironman in 1982, the whole world saw it on ABC Wide World of Sports. That race and that coverage changed Julie’s life forever; it changed the sport of triathlon forever.

Julie’s new book, Crawl of Fame, is the memoir all of us who saw that footage, were inspired somehow to become involved in the sport, and wondered what she is up to these days, have been waiting for.

We talk about her early life, her training (such that is was!), her marriage to World Champion Mark Allen, and what she is doing now.

The book does not disappoint! I hope my conversation with her doesn’t either.

PS – Julie will be racing this year’s Ironman on October 13th as will her son, Mats Allen!